Yeah - this seems pretty major to me. the weather is one thing but the Pacific Ocean dying is a whole different level of 'oh-oh'. There are a couple bloggers going off about the aquatic die off - guys who have actually visited the coastal areas and witnessed the lack of sea life and shore life that is normally present which is now gone.
eg Feb 11, 2016: Scientists and lawmakers foresee grim outlook for California’s ocean fisheries… the outlook is overwhelmingly grim, presenters said at an annual forum of the joint legislative Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture. “Something’s going on in the ocean, and it’s not right, and it doesn’t fit our historical understandings,” California Fish and Wildlife Director Chuck Bonham told members of the committe… Bonham noted stretches of coastline suddenly barren of sea urchins… [N]umerous anomalies… are growing increasingly apparent, Bonham said. “This should be an… alarm to the general public”… Bonham said… Several witnesses Thursday forecast what most in the industry already have anticipated: a collapse, or near collapse, of key salmon runs in the state… “I cannot say this more bluntly,” [State Senator Mike McGuire] said. “We are facing a fishery disaster here in California”… U.S. Department of Commerce [is] considering a request by Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a fishery disaster… (Press Democrat)
and
Feb 18, 2016: California’s Crab and Salmon Fisheries Threatened By Historic Crisis… [O]fficials testified about the dire situation that the salmon and crab fishery is in at a recent forum at the State Capitol… “The salmon and crab fisheries are threatened by a historic crisis.” [said Senator Mike McGuire]… “We’ve gone from abundance to scarcity… “During the last two years, we’ve lost over 95 percent of the Sacramento River winter-run chinook and over 95 percent of the fall-run Chinook.”… things are expected to be even worse this year… Something’s going on in the ocean - State officials and scientists spoke on the unprecedented changes in the ocean believed to be impacting crab, salmon and other fish populations… These include the massive deaths of sea stars, the decline of the squid fishery, the closure of the sardine fishery, the decline of kelp habitat and the loss of most of the red sea urchins north of San Francisco recently…(Ocean Beach Rag) (I lived in Ocean Beach - that is a legit local paper even thought the name sounds funny)
and
Dr. Shawn Johnson, director of veterinary science at the Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito): “They were basically just skin and bones. Their liver, their pancreas, their intestines were basically shut down. And they were eating themselves from the inside to stay alive by the time we saw them… If it continues, if this is the new normal, the sea lion population and the fur seal population in California are going to have severe drops in their overall population.”
and
"The forecast this summer calls for 549,200 coho to arrive off the Washington-Oregon coast, compared to a preseason forecast of 1,015,000 last year and an actual return of 322,100" (Seattle Times). The Columbia forecast last year was 777,100 coho, but less than a third actually returned – 242,300. Poor ocean conditions and a lack of feed could have played a negative role. (from Washington Fish and Wildlife Dept.) (and stats like these just go on and on for different types of fish)
In Washington, Fishing seasons will be finalized April 8-14 during the Pacific Fishery Management Council and one option on the table is to allow NO commercial or sport fishing at all!
And the algal bloom... and NOBODY official is daring to mention the "F" word. All the 'experts' are saying: "we're mystified." (Yeah right)
All 'fallout' from Fukushima? Kind of makes my guts churn. I have quit buying anything from the Pacific. This definitely has my attention.